UPDATE: Bay Valley Foods Strike in Dixon Ends

DIXON (WIFR) -- Bay Valley Foods employees in Dixon will return to work on Sunday. The company says union members voted today and approved a new three year deal. More than 100 workers went on strike on February 6.

DIXON (WIFR) – Negotiation teams are meeting with a federal mediator to resolve the labor strike at the Bay Valley Foods plant in Dixon. Teamsters Local 722 president Steve Mongan says the two sides have to work out one final issue. Mongan is hopeful a new contract offer can be hammered out today. More than 100 workers walked off the job two weeks ago.

UPDATE: More union workers at Bay Valley Foods could be going on strike.

Teamsters Local 722 says union members in Dixon overwhelmingly voted down the company's best and final offer.

The union says it has filed paper work to expand the strike to six other facilities including the location in Pecatonica.

Union leaders they are willing to go back to the bargaining table with a federal mediator, however, no meetings have been scheduled.

UPDATE: DIXON (WIFR) -- Workers at the Bay Valley Foods plant in Dixon spend their 12th day walking the picket line after the company presents the union with its best and final offer.

Union reps say they got the last contract proposal Sunday after a 7 hour bargaining session. It does not include an attendance policy that would allow workers to use a doctor's note for an excused sick day. As a result of this, union members say they will not vote on this contract and will remain out on strike. Union members will meet with their bargaining team tomorrow to decide what to do next.

UPDATE: Union workers remain in negotiations with Bay Valley Foods until a contract can be agreed on.

A union representative tells 23 News the company is currently reviewing another offer from the union. There hasn't been a response yet. A federal mediator is present at Friday's meeting as well. He says union representatives will stay all evening if that's what it takes to strike a deal.

UPDATE: ROCKFORD (WIFR) – More frustration for workers on strike, outside Dixon’s Bay Valley Food’s plant after employees from surrounding facilities are called to do the job for those on the picket line.

“I don’t think it’s right for them to take all things away from her.”

Brady Butler says he never gets to spend much time with his mom since he’s usually working 10-hour shifts at the Bay Valley Food Plant in Dixon.

“She was a single mother, so she worked factory work. That was her source of income, so I understood.”

Now, he’s joining his mother along with more than 100 other union members in their fight for a better contract.

“We all feel like we’re not appreciated in what we do, we work hard there and it’s like they don’t care.”

Union leaders Steve Mongan says they will continue to push for pension and a better attendance policy, so workers can have an excused absence with a doctor’s note.

“They want us to come walking into a food plant where we make food, sick.”

Protesters took to the picket line once again Thursday afternoon, after two failed negotiation sessions.

“They’re not going to get people off the street to do what we do. It takes a lot of training to do our jobs.”

A representative for the company says Bay Valley Foods brought in employees from surrounding plants to temporarily help with production. Butler says he hopes union members can come to an agreement soon so his mom can get back to work.

Workers are receiving encouragement from surrounding union groups from places like Pecatonica and Chicago. Leaders from Dixon’s Teacher’s Union have also shown their support during this strike.

Union members will meet for another negotiation meeting tomorrow. If they reach an agreement, workers say they will possibly vote on the contract as early as Sunday.

DIXON (WIFR) -- Work will resume even though the strike continues at Bay Valley Foods in Dixon.

Managers have now called in non-union workers to run the plant after another negotiation session came and went with little progress. According to the union head a big sticking point centers around attendance issues. The union wants a provision allowing workers to have an excused absence with a doctor's note. But management has yet to budge on that issue. A rally for the 112 union members will take place Thursday at noon. The next scheduled negotiating session is Friday.

DIXON (WIFR) -- Contract talks will pick back up Tuesday between union leaders and Bay Valley Foods in Dixon.

Teamsters Local 722 has been on strike since late last Thursday. Union representatives walked out of a negotiation session Sunday without an agreement. We're told both sides can't agree on health care benefits and pensions.

DIXON (WIFR) -- It's back to the bargaining table Sunday for union leaders and representatives of Bay Valley Foods in Dixon.

Teamsters Local 722 are on strike, but they and the company met with a federal mediator Friday to try to work out a deal.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.